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OTTAWA, Jan 16 (Reuters) - A World Trade Organization panel has ruled the United States was within its rights to impose anti-dumping duties against softwood lumber imports from Canada, a Canadian official said on Friday.

After a long series of back-and-forth negotiations and further pro-US rulings from the WTO, the United States has now been authorised to undertake retaliation to the tune of $191.4 million against Europe in connection with the banana case. Under WTO rules, the United States has the right to impose countervailing sanctions against European imports in industries totally unrelated to the dispute. The United States has chosen to impose 100% tariffs on a range of European luxury imports, hoping that the affected industries will become internal lobbyists in the EU for a change in Europe's banana policy.

The WTO is reviled in developing nations papers as being a tool of the developed nations and vice-versa. Hence it's doing a good job as an impartial board -- not favourable to either.